Volcano Choir, the joint venture between Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Collections of Colonies of Bees, has changed its tune on its second album. Instead of showcasing the cycling loops that conspicuously informed Unmap's debut, Repave rolls forth with more epic inclinations. Although it follows the experimental zeal of its predecessor, the explorations on Repave are executed with refined finesse that reveal enormous progress for the band.
The ecstatic choruses on tracks like "Acetate," "Comrade," "Byegone," and "Almanac" mark some of the boldest, most driving work Vernon has performed. The splash of autotune at the close of "Comrade" recalls his surprising guest spots on Kanye West records, reminding listeners that the ostensibly folk musician is unrestricted by genre or conservative production techniques.
Vernon's folk-heart does bleed through on "Alaskans," the source of the album's title, featuring an audioclip from a Charles Bukowski reading. Overall though, Repave is more furious and energetic than Bon Iver's winding soundscapes. "Dancepack" finds Vernon singing with raw anger trembling in his voice ("Take note there's still a hole in your heart," he cautions).
Repave is a sign of Vernon's continued development as an artist, every bit as compelling as his Grammy-winning work. The natural ache and haunted beauty that always radiates from his music remains active throughout the record. His fragmented poetry resonates over shifting sonic textures, conjuring the structure of thought and memory, as Vernon paves his own distinct artistic path.
Grade: A-
